Matching planer-head.



H. J, MITCHELL.

MATCHING PLANEB. HEAD. APPLICATION 1111121111111. 14, 1910.

987,391. j Patented Mar.21, 1911.

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H. J. MITCHELL. mucnme PLANER HEAD. 1 APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 14, 1910. 987,391 Patented Mar. 21, 1911.

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J. MITCHELL. MATCHING PLANER HEAD. APPLICATION FILED MAL 1910.

Patented Mar.21;,1911

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IINIIED @IA IE% PATENT OFFIQFZ.

HARRISON J. MITCHELL, OF BELOIT, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T0 EDI-IE BERLIN MACHINE WORKS, 0F BELOIT, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

MATCHING PLANER-HEAD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 21, 1911.

Application filed March 14, 1910. Serial No. 549,209.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRISON J. MITCHELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beloit, in the county of Rock and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Matching Planer- Heads, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to planer heads and more particularly or especially to planer heads of the matching type having a pair of companion knife carrying cylinders or sections adjustable toward and from one another.

One object of the invention is the provision of means for securely and effectively locking the cutting knives in operative position, the construction being such that no parts, such as nuts, bolt heads or the like, extend below the under surface of the lower cylinder or section. In my improved device all the nuts for actuating the wedges to tighten or fasten the knives in place are located above the upper section or cylinder where they are readily accessible and where they in no way interfere with the desired and successful operation of the machine.

Other features of novelty and improvement will be made apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which should be taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the various views.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a matching planer head embodying my new invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through the planer head shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 the parts being viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 4: is a section on the line 4-4: of Fig. 3. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are views of one of the locking gibs or keys. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of two companion knives used for grooving the edges of the lumber. Figs. 9, 10 and 11 are views of one of a pair of knives conjointly used to provide tongues on the edges of the lumber, and Fig. 12 is a cross-section through both planer cylinders or sections on the line 1212 of Fig. 3, the parts being viewed in the direction shown by the arrows.

Referring to the drawings it will be noticed that the improved matching planer head is mounted on the upper end of a vertical shaft 15 and comprises a bottom or lower planer cylinder or section 16 having a central aperture 17 to accommodate the shaft 15 and equipped on itstop face with a comparatively long aXially-apertured hub or sleeve 18 which also receives the supporting and driving shaft 15. A companion or upper cylinder or section 19 of substantially the same diameter is provided above the lower cylinder 16 and is equipped with a shorter hub or sleeve 20, this cylinder and sleeve being centrally apertured to receive and accommodate the longer sleeve or hub 18 all as is clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The inner sleeve 18 is supplied at its upper end with external screw threads 21 while the corresponding surface of the outer sleeve or hub 20 is likewise threaded at 22, the pitch of these latter threads being somewhat less than that of those on the sleeve 18 for a purpose hereinafter indicated. This device also includes an externally-lmurled adjusting nut or sleeve 23 internally screw threaded at its upper end at 24- to cooperate with the threads 21 and also internally screw threaded at its lower end at 25 to coact with the threads 22 of the sleeve 20. It should therefore be apparent that by turning this roughened adjusting nut or sleeve the space between the two cylinders 19 and 16 may be regulated since owing to the difference in pitch of the two sets of screw threads the turning of this nut or sleeve will cause the cylinder 19 to move longitudinally on the sleeve 18. In order to prevent unintentional rotation of this nut 23 I equip the screw threaded part of the sleeve 18 with a locking nut 26 adapted to be screwed down against the upper face of the adjusting nut 23 after the proper adjustment has been secured. Another lock nut 27 cooperating with the threads of the sleeve 20 is provided below the adjusting nut 23 and by bearing against its bottom surface aids in preventing unintentional turning of such nut.

In order to adjustably position the lower cylinder or section 16 on the shaft 15 I screw into the upper end of the sleeve 18 a stopper or closure 28 the latter and the sleeve having coiiperating screw threads at 29 as is clearly indicated. This stopper or closure is supplied with a centrally disposed threaded aperture 30 through which is screwed a bolt or threaded screw 31 with an angular head 32, the lower end of this screw resting upon and bearing against the top end or surface of the supporting shaft 15. It will therefore be obvious that by turning this screw the cylinder 16 may be slid along on the shaft 15 until it reaches the desired position of adjustment. In order to maintain such adjustment and position of the parts the screw 31 has a lock nut 33 adapted to be screwed down against the top of the closure 28 effectively eliminating the possibility of undesired or unintentional turning or rotation of the screw.

To secure the inner sleeve 18 to the shaft 15 so as to insure the simultaneous rotation of the parts I pass a set screw 34 through the same, the inner end of the screw pressing against the shaft, and in order to allow the axial movement of the upper cylinder to obtain the desired adjustment, 1 make the hole 35 of the exterior sleeve 20 through which the set screw passes, somewhat larger than the diameter of the screw as is clearly illustrated.

The lower planer cylinder or section 16 has a plurality (in the present instance four) of apertures or recesses on its periphery, each adapted to accommodate a planing knife and a locking wedge gib or key. Each of these apertures or recesses 36 has a back or rear deeper portion 37 adapted to receive a portion of the knife proper and has a rear wall or surface 38 parallel to the axis of the planer head. In front of this portion of the recess which receives the knife is another part 39 of wedge shape, being somewhat wider at the top and narrower at the bottom and having a front surface or wall 40 disposed at an angle to the axis of the head and to the opposite wall or face 38. These two recesses or apertures 36 and 39 in reality form a single recess or cavity but it should be noted that the part 39 which is intended to receive the wedge locking key or gib terminates at the shoulder 41 on which the gib is adapted to rest.

In order to provide accommodation for the retaining shoulders or lugs of the gib hereinafter described the bottom face of the cylinder 16 is grooved at 42 so that these retaining fingers or lugs need not extend below the bottom face of the cylinder or section. Each knife and gib receiving cavity is intersected by a cylindrical recess 43 on the bottom face of the cylinder which recess is intended to receive the wedge head of a tightening bolt hereinafter described in detail. This cylindrical aperture 43 extends part way through the head and communicates with an alined hole 44 passing through the remainer or top portion of the head as shown in Figs. 3 and 12. The upper planer cylinder 19 is equipped with a cylindrical hole 45 extended therethrough directly above each of the four recesses 43, a portion of such hole or aperture 45 being indicated in Fig. 3.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 12 I have shown this improved planer head supplied with cutting knives of such style and shape as are adapted and intended to provide the edges of the lumber with grooves for the accommodation of tongues which may be cut with the same planer head when equipped with the type of knives shown in Figs. 9,10 and 11. Each of these groove cutters 46 has a flat face 47 adapted to bear against the correspondingly shaped surface 38 when the knife is properly positioned in the recess or cavity 36. At one edge this knife has a forwardly projecting portion 48 having at one end a cutting edge 49 intended to cut out a part of the groove. On one face the knife 46 has an outstanding rib 50 parallel with the longitudinal edges of the knife and with the portion 48. It should be noted that each knife 46 has a single plane surface 51 leading to the cutting edge 49 of the part 48 and to the cutting edge 52 of the main body of the knife. It should therefore be evident that both cutting edges may be readily sharpened by grinding this single plane surface 51, the two cutting edges as is clearly illustrated being displaced both longitudinally of the knife and also laterally. For a locking key or gib for each of such knives I provide gibs of the construction and shape indicated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. Each of these gibs 53 which is of substantially the same width as the thickness of the cylinder in which it is used has a flat face 54 adapted to bear against the tongue-equipped face of the knife 46 as is shown in Fig. 12, this surface having a slightly inclined or slanting groove 55 adapted to receive the tongue or rib 50 of the knife and cant the latter sufficiently to provide the necessary clearance for the cutting of the groove, this inclina tion or clearance of the knife being clearly indicated in Fig. 1. The opposite surface 56 of the gib is inclined with respect to the surface 54 so that the gib as a whole is in reality in the form of a wedge, this surface 56 at one edge having a pair of laterally eX- tended fingers or cars 57 which in the assembled relation of the parts are received in the groove 42, the bottom of the groove and these lugs constituting cooperating or co-acting shoulders preventing movement of the gib or key in one direction. Each gib and knife has a bolt 58 with a round head 59 at one end, the head being beveled off at- 60 at the same inclination as that which the surface 56 of the gib bears with relation to the flat surface 54. In the assembled relation of the parts the shank of this wedge bolt is received in the aperture 44 of the lower cylinder and in the aperture 45 of the upper cylinder, the recess or cavity 43 ac commodating the head 59 and permitting its beveled or wedge surface 60 to bear against the beveled surface 56 of the gib as is clearly shown in Fig. 12, the space be tween the lugs or fingers 57 permitting the passage of the head 59 fully into its recess or cavity 43. The threaded shank 58 of each wedge bolt is surrounded by a bushing or sleeve 61 of the same external diameter as the aperture 45 which accommodates it, the lower end of the sleeve bearing against the top face of the cylinder or section 16 while a tightening nut 62 on the upper end of the shank of the bolt is adapted to bear against the top surface of the sleeve in such manner that the turning of the nut draws the bolt upward and its wedge surface 60 into firm engagement with the corresponding surface of the gib 53. To prevent interference of this bushing with the part 48 of the knife the bushing is cut away at 61 on one side of the shank 58 as is in dicated in Figs. 1 and 12. Since it is the lower cylinder or section which is fastened to the shaft 15 and driven thereby it will be apparent that the simultaneous rotation of the upper cylinder or section with its knives is accomplished by transmitting the rotation of the lower cylinder to the upper, by means of the shanks 59 of the bolts and their surrounding sleeves or bushlugs.

From a careful inspection of Fig. 12 it should be obvious to any one skilled in the art that after the knife 46 and its gib 53 have been properly placed in the recess of the cylinder, the gib resting on the shoulder or shelf 41, the wedge bolt may be put in place and drawn upwardly by turning its nut 62, such movement of the bolt head by contact with the gib forcing the latter over against the knife with sufficient pressure to maintain the latter in proper operative cut ting position. Such movement of the bolt and its head tends to draw the gib or key upward therewith but owing to the co-action of the fingers or shoulders 57 with the shoulder at the bottom of the slot 42, such movement of the gib is positively limited and restricted. Owing to the cooperation of the rib or tongue 50 of the knife with the groove 55 of the gib, lateral or sidewise movement of the knife is effectively and positively prevented, the inclination of the groove determining the clearance given to the knife.

The knives 63 of the upper adjustable cylinder or section are like the knives 46 me cept that they are reversely constructed with their groove cutting portion 64: at their lower edges. These knives of the upper cylinder are held in position by gibs 65 and wedge bolts 66 of substantially the same construction as those employed in the lower cylinder, with the exception that the gibs give the knives an opposite clearance or inclination to that imparted to the lower knives, the wedge bolts are considerably shorter, and no sleeves corresponding to the sleeves or bushings e 5 are employed.

The planer head in operation has the sec-.

tions or cylinder 16 and 19 so adjusted that the parts as and 64: which cut the grooves overlap more or less and as their edges or corners 67 and 68 become worn down the companion sections are separated to a slightly greater extent so that the grooves cut by such knives will at all times he of uniform width.

Many forms of cutting knives may be used in a planer head of this type but in the drawings forming a part of this specification I have illustrated only one other form which is set out in Figs. 9, 10 and 11. This knife has a main body 69 having a flat face 7 0 and a rib 71 on its opposite face adapted to cooperate with the groove 55 of its corresponding locking gib or key. At one end the body has a cutting edge 72 and at one side the knife has an ofl'set part 73 supplied with a cutting edge 74 displaced. relatively to the edge 72 both longitudinally and transversely of the knife. As is clearly shown in Figs. 10 and 11 this knife has a single plane surface 75 leading to both of these cutting edges which indicates clearly that both of such edges may be readily sharpened by grinding this single surface. Two sets of such knives are used in the two cylinders 16 and 19, the two sets of knives being reversely arranged as has been described above in connection with the groove cutters. But since such tongue cutting device requires an opposite clearance from that given the groove cutters gibs 53 with oppositely inclined grooves 55 are employed under such. conditions. As the corners or edges 76 of such knives become worn away the cylinders may be adjusted to compensate for such condition so as to make the tongues cut on the edges of the boards always of the same width. It may be remarked that the groove or tongue cutting knives not only provide the edges of the lumber operated upon with the proper grooves or tongues, but their sharp surfaces 52 and 72 act to plane and smooth the remainder of the edges of such lumber or boards.

It should be especially noted that in the improved construction herein set forth no part of the knives, gibs or wedge bolts eX tend below the bottom surface of the lower cylinder so as to hinder the proper positioning or working of the parts of the planer head. It is also apparent that all of the knife tightening bolts have their nuts located above the upper cylinder where they are readily accessible and may be turned to tighten or loosen the knives as is desired. It should be noted furthermore that owing to the wedge action between the bolt heads and the gibs or keys a strong and eiiicient pressure is secured on the knives to maintain the same so fixedly in working position against the rear walls of their slots or recesses, that the possibility of unintentional displacement is entirely eliminated.

I Vhereas I have described herein in detail the various structural features and characteristics of the several parts of this improved construction it is to be noted that the invention is not limited and restricted to these details since many minor mechanical changes may be made in the device without departing from the substance or essence of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination of a planer cylinder recessed on its periphery, a knife in said recess, a gib in said recess bearing against said knife, a movable wedge co-acting with said gib and adapted to force it against the knife to maintain the latter in operative position, means to limit the movement of the gib in the direction of the movement of the wedge, and cooperating means between the gib and knife to prevent relative lateral displacement, substantially as described.

2. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination of a planer cylinder recessed on its periphery, a knife in said recess, a shouldered gib in said recess bearing against said knife, a movable wedge co-acting with said gib and adapted to force it against the knife to maintain the latter in operative position, the shoulder of said gib co-acting with said cylinder to limit the movement of the gib in the direction of the movement of the wedge, a cooperating tongue and groove between said gib and knife to prevent lateral displacement of the latter, and means to actuate said wedge to tighten or clamp the knife in place, substantially as described. 7

3. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination of a planer cylinder recessed on its periphery, a knife in said recess, a gib in said recess bearing against said knife, a movable wedge co-aeting with said gib and adapted to force it against the knife to maintain the latter in operative position, means to limit the movement of the gib in the direction of movement of the wedge, a tongue on said knife, an inclined or slanting groove in said gib adapted to accommo date said tongue, whereby to prevent lateral displacement of the knife and give the latter the proper clearance, and means to operate said wedge to tighten or clamp the knife in place, substantially as described.

l. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination of a pair of companion cylinders or sections one of which is recessed, a knife, gib, and wedge in said recess, said gib having a screw-threaded shank extending through an aperture of the other cylinder, a sleeve in said aperture hearing at one end against the recessed cylinder, and a nut on said shank bearing on the other end of said sleeve, whereby turning of the nut moves the wedge and forces the gib against the knife to maintain the latter in operative position, substantially as described.

5. In a mechanism of the character de scribed, the combination of an upper and a lower cylinder each equipped with cutting knives and knife-clamping or holding devices, a shaft on which said cylinders are mounted, and means to fasten one of said cylinders to said shaft whereby the rotation of the latter is transmitted to the former, the knife-clampin means of the cylinder fastened to said shaft being employed to drive the other cylinder, substantially as described.

HARRISON J. MITCHELL.

IVitnesses T. A. I-IoRsrMANN, L. A. Boss.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

